![Map of zones of Ethiopia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Map_of_zones_of_Ethiopia.svg)
North Wollo (
Amharic
Amharic ( or ; (Amharic: ), ', ) is an Ethiopian Semitic language, which is a subgrouping within the Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic languages. It is spoken as a first language by the Amharas, and also serves as a lingua franca for all oth ...
: ሰሜን ወሎ) also called Semien Wollo, is a
zone
Zone or The Zone may refer to:
Places Climate and altitude zones
* Death zone (originally the lethal zone), altitudes above a certain point where the amount of oxygen is insufficient to sustain human life for an extended time span
* Frigid zone, ...
in
Amhara Region
The Amhara Region ( am, አማራ ክልል, Åmara Kilil), officially the Amhara National Regional State (), is a regional state in northern Ethiopia and the homeland of the Amhara people. Its capital is Bahir Dar which is the seat of the Reg ...
of
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
. It is bordered on the south by
South Wollo
South Wollo (Amharic: ደቡብ ወሎ) is a zone in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. It acquired its name from the former province of Wollo. South Wollo is bordered on the south by North Shewa and the Oromia Region, on the west by East Gojjam, ...
, on the west by
South Gondar, on the north by
Wag Hemra, on the northeast by
Tigray Region
The Tigray Region, officially the Tigray National Regional State, is the northernmost regional state in Ethiopia. The Tigray Region is the homeland of the Tigrayan, Irob, and Kunama people. Its capital and largest city is Mekelle. Tigray is ...
, and on the east by
Afar Region
The Afar Region (; aa, Qafar Rakaakayak; am, አፋር ክልል), formerly known as Region 2, is a regional state in northeastern Ethiopia and the homeland of the Afar people. Its capital is the planned city of Semera, which lies on the pave ...
; part of its southern border is defined by the
Mille River
The Mille River is a river of Ethiopia and a tributary of the Awash. It drains parts of the Semien (North) Wollo and Debub (South) Wollo Zones of the Amhara Region, as well as Administrative Zone 4 of the Afar Region. The explorer L.M. Nesbitt ...
. Its highest point is
Mount Abuna Yosef
Abuna Yosef (Amharic language, Amharic: አቡነ ዮሴፍ) is a prominent mountain in the Lasta massif of the Ethiopian Highlands. At it is the 6th tallest mountain in Ethiopia and the Highest mountain peaks of Africa, 19th highest of Africa ...
. Its towns include
Lasta Lalibela (known for its rock-cut churches) and
Weldiya
Weldiya or Woldia () is a town, woreda, and capital of the North Wollo Zone in northern Ethiopia. Located north of Dessie and southeast of Lalibela in the Amhara Region, this town has an elevation of 2112 meters above sea level.
A notable landm ...
(also spelled Woldia). North Wollo acquired its name from the former province of
Wollo
Wollo (Amharic: ወሎ) was a historical province of northern Ethiopia that overlayed part of the present day Amhara, Afar, and Tigray regions. During the Middle Ages this region was known as Bete Amhara and had Amhara kings. Bete Amhara had ...
.
Overview
" All eight rural woredas of this Zone have been grouped amongst the 48 woredas identified as the most drought prone and food insecure in the Amhara Region.
Most of this Zone is mountainous and characterized by steep slopes, which are unsuitable for agriculture and severely limits the cultivated area. A survey of the land in this Zone shows that 24% is arable or cultivable, 4.6% pasture, 0.37% forest, 17.4% shrubland, 47.3% degraded or unusable, and the remaining 6.3% all other uses. To combat increasing droughts and improve crop yields, 12 irrigation projects have been undertaken in five woredas, affecting 1.64 square kilometers and benefiting 6,783 households.
Historical Districts of Semien Wollo include
Raya Kobo,
Lasta Lalibela,
Wadla
Wadla (Amharic: ዋድላ) is a woreda in Amhara Region, Ethiopia. It is named for the former district which lay roughly in the same area. Part of the Semien Wollo Zone, Wadla is bordered on the southeast by Delanta, on the southwest by Dawunt, on ...
,
Delanta
Delanta ( Amharic ደላንታ) is one of the woredas in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Dälanta ''wäräda'' is located in the Amhara National Regional State of South Wällo Zone and pinned on 38⁰ 40’ 39” north and 11⁰ 20’ 11” east. On ...
,
Gidan
Gidan ( Amharic: ጊዳን) is a woreda in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Semien Wollo Zone, Gidan is bordered on the south by Guba Lafto, on the southwest by Meket, on the west by Lasta (formerly part of Bugna), on the north by the ...
,
Bugna
Bugna ( Amharic: ቡግና ''būgnā'', ''not'' pronounced "buña") is a woreda in Amhara Region, Ethiopia. It is named after the former district. Located in the northwest corner of the Semien Wollo Zone, Bugna is bordered on the south by Meket, ...
, and
Meket
Meket ( Amharic: መቄት) is a woreda in Amhara Region, Ethiopia.Svein Ege identifies this woreda with one otherwise known as Saron Meda"North Wälo 1:100,000. Topographic and administrative map of North Wälo Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia". Tr ...
.
Demographics
Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the
Central Statistical Agency
The Central Statistical Agency (CSA; Amharic: ማዕከላዊ ስታቲስቲክስ ኤጀንሲ) is an agency of the government of Ethiopia designated to provide all surveys and censuses for that country used to monitor economic and social growt ...
of Ethiopia (CSA), this Zone has a total population of 1,500,303, an increase of 19.04% over the 1994 census, of whom 752,895 are men and 747,408 women; with an area of 12,172.50 square kilometers, North Wollo has a population density of 123.25. While 155,273 or 10.35% are urban inhabitants, a further 2 persons are pastoralists. A total of 355,974 households were counted in this Zone, which results in an average of 4.21 persons to a household, and 343,504 housing units. The largest ethnic group reported in North Wollo was the
Amhara (99.38%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.62% of the population.
Amharic
Amharic ( or ; (Amharic: ), ', ) is an Ethiopian Semitic language, which is a subgrouping within the Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic languages. It is spoken as a first language by the Amharas, and also serves as a lingua franca for all oth ...
is spoken as a first language by 99.28%; the remaining 0.72% spoke all other primary languages reported. 82.74% practiced
Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church ( am, የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን, ''Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan'') is the largest of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. One of the few Chris ...
, and 17.08% of the population said they were
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this Zone of 1,260,317 in 309,231 households, of whom 633,702 were men and 626,615 women; 89,055 or 7.07% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The largest ethnic group reported in North Wollo was the Amhara (99.61%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.39% of the population. Amharic was spoken as a first language by 99.62%; the remaining 0.38% spoke all other primary languages reported. 83.36% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 10% of the population said they were Muslim.
According to a May 24, 2004
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...
memorandum, 6% of the inhabitants of North Wollo have access to electricity, this zone has a road density of 69.7 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers (compared to the national average of 30 kilometers), the average rural household has 0.7 hectare of land (compared to the national average of 1.01 hectare of land and a regional average of 0.75 for the Amhara Region) and the equivalent of 0.7 heads of livestock. 13.2% of the population is in non-farm related jobs, compared to the national average of 25% and a Regional average of 21%. 27% of the zone is exposed to
malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
, and none to
tsetse fly
Tsetse ( , or ) (sometimes spelled tzetze; also known as tik-tik flies), are large, biting flies that inhabit much of tropical Africa. Tsetse flies include all the species in the genus ''Glossina'', which are placed in their own family, Glo ...
. The memorandum gave this zone a drought risk rating of 577.
Education
According to the 2004 World Bank memorandum, at the time 48% of all eligible children in this Zone are enrolled in primary school, and 10% in secondary schools. However, in October 2006, the Zonal education department announced that the construction of 48 new schools in the previous year had increased school enrolment by 41,000. This raised the total enrollment to 228,990 out of an estimated 300,000 potential students, or a total 76% of all eligible students.
"Ethiopia: Education Service Coverage Increasing"
(Ethiopian Herald)
Notes
External links
Svein Ege, "North Wälo 1:100,000. Topographic and administrative map of North Wälo Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia."
{{Districts of the Amhara Region
Amhara Region
Zones of Ethiopia